The novel centers on a group of writers, musicians, and scholars in Estonia before, during, and after that nation's independence from the Soviet Union.

The title refers to The Cave, a semi-exclusive underground bar in Tallinn where the principal characters gather to drink and debate over the course of several decades.

"[1] "The Cavemen Chronicle" is set firmly within the historical context of the last half-century in Estonia, but major events of the period are often mentioned briefly, if at all.

One exception is the Estonian Song Festival[2] of September 1988 (the novel places the event in August), which comprises much of the third section of the book.

[3] The Cave, the tavern around which most of the book's plot revolves, is based on an actual underground nightclub in Tallinn, the KuKu Club.